Join Dr. Nick Winges-Yanez for a discussion with artist and activist Patty Berne. This seminar will focus on the praxis of disability justice and its incorporation into creative work as practiced by Sins Invalid*. Attendees will view film selections from Sins Invalid’s repertoire, followed by discussions of artists’ works, the directorial process, and the transformation of the theater into a liberatory space — for both performers and audience alike. *Sins Invalid commits itself to reflecting the beauty of disability and the non- normative body, centering disabled artists of color and queer / gender non- conforming artists with disabilities.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/cconvo117

Guest Bio

Patty Berne is the Co-Founder, Executive and Artistic Director of Sins Invalid. Berne’s training in clinical psychology focused on trauma and healing for survivors of interpersonal and state violence. Their professional background includes advocacy for immigrants who seek asylum due to war and torture; community organizing within the Haitian diaspora; international support work for the Guatemalan democratic movement; work with incarcerated youth toward alternatives to the criminal legal system; offering mental health support to survivors of violence; and advocating for LGBTQI and disability perspectives within the field of reproductive genetic technologies. Berne’s experiences as a Japanese-Haitian queer disabled woman provides grounding for her work creating “liberated zones” for marginalized voices. Berne was awarded the Disability Futures Fellowship in 2020 and they are widely recognized for their work to establish the framework and practice of disability justice. 

About the Crip Conversations Series

Crip Conversations is an annual discussion series focused on disability, critical disability studies, and current events.

In these conversations, attendees will learn about disability culture and its nuances from self-advocates, activists, and allies. 

"Crip" is reclaimed language used within disabled communities. It has a long history of being used as a slur, but now is used as a marker of pride, insider experience, and camaraderie. Not all choose to use it, similar to the reclaimed word queer.